With Charlie Strong's Job In Jeopardy; Here Are Five Candidates That Could Land At Texas In 2017

After a big win versus Notre Dame in the season opener, and the subsequent throttling of UTEP, most Texas fans thought this would be the year that third year head coach Charlie Strong would right the ship. Two very tough losses, however, which saw Strong’s defense give up a combined 99 points to Cal and Oklahoma State, however, has many wondering if he’ll finish out the year as the Longhorns' head coach. On Saturday, Strong will be fighting for his job in the Red River Shootout versus Oklahoma.

After dropping his second straight loss last week against Oklahoma State; there has been reports that Charlie Strong's job is in jeopardy without a turnaround in the 2016 season (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Strong came in three years ago as a refreshing young coach with a no-nonsense attitude and a tough defensive-minded approach. He brandished a 37-15 (.712) record while at Louisville, including a 2012 Sugar Bowl win against Florida. The proud Texas Longhorn program welcomed Strong with a five-year contract worth $29.3 million.

The deal also included a $4.3 million buyout to Louisville, which was one of the largest one-year amounts paid for a public school athletics coach in recent history, totaling over $9 million in 2014 alone. In comparison, Mack Brown who won a National Championship with Texas, didn’t make $5 million annually until 2009.

After some back and forth with people who matter, I can say the anger is real. OU is a big, big, big game for Charlie Strong.

What fans in Austin have received in exchange is a 13–16 overall record with one bowl appearance and two consecutive losing seasons, which may turn to three rather quickly. According to reports, the Texas brass is pleased with how he's recruited and stockpiled talent while changing the culture, following the departure of former head coach Mack Brown. However, Strong has struggled mightily with strategy and game management, at times, which can’t be overcome with talent alone.

With Strong expected to be gone by the end of this season, Texas, along with other powerhouse programs like LSU, will be competing for the available coaching talent which will likely include poaching current prominent head coaches. Texas is expected to pursue Houston head coach Tom Herman aggressively.

Although LSU is rumored to have already reached out to former Baylor coach Art Briles and Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher, Herman remains their number one candidate. This potential competition for Herman will be interesting to watch, as fans will be anxious to see who he might choose. Texas could get the edge in this battle, since Herman has history with the state and university at several notable football programs, including the perennial FCS powerhouse Sam Houston State.

UT donor Red McCombs said he's not advocating a firing, and won't. "But don't tell me you can't fire someone in the middle of the season."

The shortlist for Texas, however, might include Art Briles and even Jimbo Fisher, especially if Florida State begins to slide. The Longhorns may also ponder hiring recently dismissed Les Miles, who stated in an interview on Saturday that he intends to coach again. There’s also Washington coach Chris Petersen, who currently has the Huskies ranked in the Top 10, which hasn’t happened often since their last National Title in 1992. However, this could all lead to naught if Strong finishes, well, strong and somehow reverses course with his team’s play. Fans and Strong might find out soon if the Red River Shootout turns into the Red River Blowout against an explosive Oklahoma offense.

Petersen agreed to a five-year $18 million contract with UW in 2013, which made him one of the highest-paid coaches in the Pac-12. The university then offered him an extension in November which will see him earn $4 million annually in 2018, 2019 and 2020 and has a buyout of $2.5 million.

In June, Baylor relieved Briles of coaching duties following a sexual assault scandal which led to a contract settlement between the two parties. Briles has since expressed interest in returning to college football.

Miles was fired by LSU two weeks ago, following a loss to Auburn. He had a .770 winning percentage as the Tigers' head coach and second all-time in school history for wins. According to terms of his contract, Miles is due a buyout of approximately $10 million with the dismissal.

Fisher signed a contract extension with Florida State in 2015. He earned $5 million last season and could earn at least $44 million for the remainder of his new contract extension. However, he has a $5 million buyout before Dec. 31, 2016, a $3 million buyout on that date in 2018, and only a $1 million buyout the day after on Jan. 1, 2019.

Simon Ogus is the COO of SportTechie.com. He can be followed at @SportTechie and reached at simon.ogus@sporttechie.com